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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24879328">A Cursed Relationship</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReaderWrites/pseuds/TheReaderWrites'>TheReaderWrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Veela Draco Malfoy, curse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:48:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24879328</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReaderWrites/pseuds/TheReaderWrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco is a Veela and Hermione is his mate but being a Veela is not what you think and Hermione must tread carefully or Draco suffers the consequences.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>259</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Cursed Relationship</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At twelve years old, Hermione’s experience with adults had always been pleasant. She was an incredibly bright student, one often ostracized by her own peers but held in high regard with teachers, therefore she felt more connected to them as one would a friend. That’s why it made her current situation all the more shocking and traumatic as the adults she so valued gazed upon her with tight lips, shifty eyes and an air of solemnity.</p><p>Her own sobs were quite unlike the level of maturity she liked to think herself of having. Yet, in this moment she could not stop them no matter how hard she tried, not when she had messed up so badly, not when she had <em>hurt</em> someone.</p><p>Feeling small under the gazes of her treasured adults, Hermione realized that she really knew nothing at all; not about herself, not about her favorite subjects and especially not about the magical world nor the people in it.</p><p>“W-will he be a-al-alright?” She stuttered between sobs. Professor Dumbledore, looking uncharacteristically serious nodded from across his desk at her.</p><p>“Fortunately for you.” She heard Professor Snape hiss from his dark corner, looking characteristically frightful.</p><p>Hermione drew further into herself at his words, flinching as her mind flashed an image of spurting blood and heard the haunting <em>thwack thwack</em> of flesh meeting wood.</p><p>A warm hand pressed against her back and Hermione looked up to find Professor McGonagall glaring at the Slytherin. “It was an honest mistake, Severus. Need I remind you that these are children and Miss Granger was clearly provoked—“</p><p>“Of course, I wouldn’t expect the head of Gryffindor to side with the hospitalized Slytherin as that would be too logical—“</p><p>“Enough,” Headmaster Dumbledore cut in, effectively ending another argument between the head of houses. “We’ve exhausted the matter extensively. This was a hard lesson for both Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy, one I believe will not happen again.” Fixing her a look over his half-moon spectacles, Hermione vigorously nodded her head, the movement flicking her ceaseless tears all about.</p><p>“P-please Headmaster, may I go see him? I w-wa-want to apologize! I’ll beg for forgiveness, anything!” Hermione squeezed her eyes, guilt gnawing at her insides, making her feel sick from it.</p><p>“I think that’s a lovely idea.” He said, ignoring Professor Snape’s grumbling as his face finally shed its grimness with a smile.</p><p>Her departure from the Headmasters office (the first and hopefully last time there) was a whir as she thought about <em>him</em>…Draco Malfoy.</p><p>When her eyes had landed on him for the first time on platform nine and three-quarters, she had thought him to look like a prince from the fairytales she’d reluctantly read in preschool. His beautiful hair looked so impossibly soft and his eyes glowed like sapphires and he looked so princely with his tall straight posture and rich robes that surely he <em>was</em> a prince.</p><p>She looked at him and he <em>sparkled</em>…</p><p>But that was quickly shattered as he collided cruelly with a chubby boy (she’d later learn was Neville) and laughed at him when he fell and dropped his toad. Hermione had rushed over to help while simultaneously gearing up to give the blonde a piece of her mind but he had boarded the train and she had lost him.</p><p>She did not find out about him and what he was until her first class with the Slytherins. At this point she had learned that Slytherins and Gryffindor’s were mortal enemies and what she saw him do to Neville did not make her question this idea. Already on edge from not getting along with her own classmates (what was wrong with that Weasley boy anyway?) she was easily riled up when Malfoy did a cruel imitation of her raising her hand. She had turned and very promptly ordered him to <em>shut up</em>.</p><p>What she hadn’t expected was for him to do so, immediately and with an audible click of his jaw. She had gazed at him wide eyed, as he with her and then the Professor had caught wind of the encounter and the next thing she knew she was sitting in Professor Flitwick’s office with Malfoy and being told by the Headmaster that Draco had something called the Veela Curse and she was his ‘mate.’</p><p>It had been a lot for her and being muggleborn she just didn’t logically believe it. Unfortunately, what followed was Hermione being forced into impromptu lessons about the Malfoy family and the Veela Curse that plagued them and her responsibility as his mate.</p><p>She supposed in hindsight that she had the upper hand…the… <em>power</em> over one of the, if not <em>the</em>, most powerful family in wizarding history. She did not <em>not</em> see the irony either that she, as a muggleborn, would have it.</p><p>However, Hermione was mature and smart. She knew that she did not want that kind of control over anybody. She understood that it took away his freedom which as an inherent right for all. To abuse it would make her the worst of the worst.</p><p>More still, there was a part of her that didn’t quite <em>believe</em> it despite the severity in the adults around her. Certainly, if she told Malfoy to jump off a cliff (which she was often tempted to do, him being a horrible git and all) his own survival instincts superseded her words.</p><p>And so that is what lead her to this ghastly situation.</p><p>It had happened during a flying lesson. Malfoy had taken to ignoring her existence (to which she happily reciprocated) but he did not extend that same courtesy to her housemates and took malicious pleasure in stirring trouble for people like Harry and Ron while bullying Neville. Often times she stayed out of it, after all, she wasn’t close with Harry and Ron and they certainly never appreciated her efforts to defend or help them.</p><p>Neville was a different story, however. Hermione considered him as something like a friend and so as soon as Malfoy— or anybody for that matter as Neville attracted a lot of negative attention— started in on him, Hermione would stand beside him and glare the blond down. He’d usually back off, never meeting her eyes but today for some reason was different. It had been after class, and Madam Hooch had instructed them to put their brooms away. Hermione had stayed to ask Madam Hooch a question as she had done a terrible job in the lesson. Madam Hooch had not been facing the rest of the students but Hermione had and saw it when it happened.</p><p>Neville had (dim wittily, Hermione admits) brought his rememberall with him to class and some teasing went on but Malfoy had taken it a step further by stealing it and smashing it against the broom cupboard. It was a gift from his Gran and Draco had just <em>broken it</em>.</p><p>Now, Hermione knew she had reacted on impulse but she couldn’t help her reaction. She had lost her own Gran about four months ago and they had been very close so when Malfoy just disregarded Neville’s feelings, she snapped.</p><p>She had run over to see Neville crying and Malfoy laughing and it was just so cruel she hadn’t thought about it when she told him to “smash your own face like you did Neville’s rememberall and see how much you like it!”</p><p>And then <em>he did.</em></p><p>It had been so horrible to watch him run headfirst into the wooden wall and bash his head over and over until the blood spurt from his broken nose and Pansy was screaming and his friends were trying to hold him back to stop him and yet he was still trying to smash his head…</p><p>Hermione hadn’t been able to stop crying since.</p><p>She was terrified. She was shocked. She was guilty.</p><p>For the first time, she felt hatred toward herself and toward the magic that caused this curse.</p><p>And now she stood before the hospital doors about to see him for the first time after what she had done…</p><p>What if he called her a monster? What if he was scared of her now? What if he never forgave her?</p><p>Hermione trembled as she opened the doors. She would face whatever retribution he felt necessary. She deserved it. She would just have to try to show him how sorry she was for not taking it seriously enough.</p><p>However, her eyes had only just met his when he came running <em>to her</em> and then he fell to his knees before her and wrapped his arms around her waist in a way that was undignified and completely unlike him.</p><p>“I’m sorry! Please don’t hate me! I’m sorry, Granger! I’ll buy Neville ten, no a hundred new rememberalls, just please, please don’t hate me!”</p><p>Hermione stood there baffled, gaping like a fish as Malfoy continued to beg her not to hate him and her heart broke because now she understood…</p><p>
  <em>This is a curse.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p><br/>It got worse as they got older.</p><p>After that incident, Hermione treated Draco with care, though it was not blatant. In fact, it might seem like she avoided him.</p><p>However, to her care meant giving him freedom which meant not being in his vicinity so that he didn’t feel compelled to listen to her.</p><p>There was a fine line. She learned as the years went by that if she didn’t occasionally tell Draco to do something or if she did but did not give him praise or attention, he would self-punish; whether that manifested by not eating, becoming weak, sleeping for days on end or literally hurting himself, was all dependent on how sad or lonely or useless he felt.</p><p>She wondered about ordering him to stop the curse much like you can free a genie if you wish it to be free but she was too scared to actually do it. There was a very high chance that if she did order such a thing, Draco would kill himself because if there was actually no way to stop it then death was sure to since death ends all things. It was too risky.</p><p>It was easy to get away with a few commands during class. A few “go get this” or “give me this” would be enough but it was the spending time together that was getting harder.</p><p>After all, the Veela Curse made him alluring to her and to everyone else.</p><p>To avoid developing feelings, Hermione avoided socializing with him as much as possible and usually sequestered herself off in the library. She studied and did her assignments but she also researched a way to break curses. Everyone told her there was no way to break a Veela curse but Hermione was not convinced and so she spent every available free time researching breaking curses and finding out how Veela curses came to be.</p><p>It was what she was doing one Saturday afternoon. Hermione walked to her table, her collection of tombs floating behind her when her eyes fell upon them.</p><p>Draco and Astoria.</p><p>Astoria was a beauty by all standards and she had a delicateness that gave her such feminine quality that made all others pale in comparison. She also had a tragic air about her as she too was cursed as her mother was before her and her grandmother before that. A generational curse just like Draco’s.</p><p>They were best friends despite the one year age difference. Hermione knew that they could also be lovers.</p><p>Being Draco’s mate didn’t automatically mean he would be <em>in love</em> with her, despite common misconception. It meant he was <em>forced</em> to be with her but Astoria would have been his choice if he had one. She knew that. She also knew that if she ordered it, he could be with her because the curse didn’t require loyalty, it required servitude and her orders superseded all else.<br/>She also knew that a portion of her own feelings were too forced due to the curse. Although, she couldn’t think off the top of her head who she would like instead.</p><p>The sight of the two perfectly matched pair doing homework together stirred a nasty feeling in Hermione. She wanted to march over there and crush Astoria, she wanted to possessively keep Malfoy to herself, she wanted to order Draco not to even look at the pretty younger girl ever again.</p><p>She did none of those things. Instead, she quietly crept away and squashed her own thoughts.</p><p>She would never—could never, cross that line with Draco because if she did he would <em>have</em> to respond to her feelings and that would rip away his last bit of freedom... That would make him consumed by her and she to him and that was the last thing she wanted.</p><p>It was certainly easier when they were only twelve years old.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p><br/>Moaning Myrtle's bathroom was a good place to do covert things. Astoria was smart for calling her out there.</p><p>“Please, I know that the curse won’t let us be together but please, Hermione, I wouldn’t be able to stand it if he loses himself to you.”</p><p>Hermione gazed upon the desperate girl and felt hate but not towards the pretty brunette. Her hatred was reserved for only one thing.</p><p>She knew it was only a matter of time before Astoria came to her. She was in love with Draco and Hermione couldn’t fault her for that.</p><p>“I don’t really know what you’re asking me to do.” She said though that was a lie. She knew, she just wanted Astoria to say it.</p><p>Beautiful teal blue eyes gazed at her with a strength that was not mirrored in the delicate frame of her body but the steeliness of her will.</p><p>“Don’t make him love you. Please, just stay his friend or his master or <em>whatever</em> but please, don’t make him love you.”</p><p>Hermione closed her own eyes to hide her pain. Did Astoria know how she felt then? How she had been wavering on keeping her distance?</p><p>“Okay.” She promised. </p><p>It was a promise she made to Astoria but would keep for her own sake.</p><p>~</p><p><br/>“What are we going to do after Hogwarts?” Hermione did not pause in her writing as she distractedly replied.</p><p>“What do you mean? I’m going to work in the ministry and you’re going to work for your father.”</p><p>“No, I didn’t mean that. I meant, where are we going to live?” Hermione kept her head tilted down but her eyes widened and her hand gave a jerk of surprise. She sucked in a breath but continued as if nothing happened.</p><p>“I don’t know what <em>you're</em> planning to do but I’m living with my parents until I save enough money to get my own place.” She ignored the hand that inched its way closer to hers resting on the table.</p><p>“Why don’t you live with me? You wouldn’t have to pay rent and it will be close to the ministry.”</p><p>
  <em>Never.</em>
</p><p>“I want to live with my parents if at least for a little while since staying at Hogwarts took me away from them so much. Then I want to live on my own. I’m sorry.” She finally stopped writing to gauge his reaction. Draco quickly averted his eyes, his hand dropping away.</p><p>“Okay,”</p><p>
  <em>Safe.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p>“Miss Granger,” Hermione’s head snapped up at Professor Snape’s voice and as soon as her eyes landed on him, her stomach dropped. “We need you to come down to the infirmary.”</p><p>She did not pay any mind to the rest of her Arithmancy exam, but left everything behind, immediately sprinting down the hallway.</p><p>Once again guilt plagued her. She knew this would happen but she had hoped it wouldn’t. Everything had seemed to have gone well so far. He looked fine with Astoria just this morning.</p><p>As she came upon his bed in the hospital wing, it was apparent that all was not fine. Not fine at all.</p><p>Draco was incredibly flushed and feverish; groans slipped from his mouth subconsciously as he withered in pain. Hermione sat on the edge of his bed and grasped his hand.</p><p>“I’m so sorry.” She repeated in a mantra; one she’d been saying in her head every time she looked at him ever since they were twelve.</p><p>She could not remember the last time she had given him an ‘order,’ the last time she had let him study with her. She had been pulling away as the end of the year drew closer and he had just endured because he was always trying to please her and she knew that he was misunderstanding her and thinking that she wanted him to go away but he was wrong—so, so <em>wrong</em>…</p><p>All she wanted was to pull him close.</p><p>She had been keeping an eye on him but she hadn’t expected him to use glamours. Now, with him so depleted and weak, she could see the damage she’d inflicted.</p><p>Was she perhaps doing more harm than good? She wanted a clear answer but there was none. Not in books.</p><p>He did not wake up for three weeks.</p><p>When he did she finally asked him what she’d been dying to ask for years but was too scared to.</p><p>“How do you feel about me?” She held herself away even though she had been aching to be around him conscious and whole. She ached so badly for a number of things when it came to him.</p><p>He gazed at her from his reclined position against his pillows.</p><p>“You’re so brilliant, Hermione. Do you really not know?” His hand was just there and it looked so inviting. His voice was so gentle it sounded like a suggestion but maybe she was so far gone in delusions she was projecting.</p><p>“I know how <em>I</em> think you should feel but now I think I’m wrong.” She answered honestly, still staring at his hand, the one he just turned over and wiggled his fingers beckoningly. She hoped as she threaded her fingers through his that she was right and this was what he wanted.</p><p>“How do you think I should feel?” This time, her eyes flew to his, and he gazed back at her like he was promising something.</p><p>“You’re so brilliant, Draco. Do you really not know?” She quoted with a quirk of her lips. He pulled her closer with the hand squeezing hers, raising their intertwined fingers up to rest against his chest, her body had to follow the pull so she sat on the edge of his bed.</p><p>“You think I should hate you, that I should be scared of you, that I should hate being around you.” He sounded so sure. She nodded, heart spiking. This discussion was too dangerous but the weariness to stay away did not come. His whole self seemed to be calling for her. “I think, however, that <em>you</em> should feel this way…Do you?”</p><p>Her eyes widened. It just seemed too laughable for <em>her</em> to fear <em>him</em>. She wasn’t the one whose health was constantly on the line, whose freedom was stolen; she was the one with the power, the one whose every word could harm and torment and punish.</p><p>“I have <em>never</em> felt that way.” She stressed. He smiled at her, his free hand coming up to thread a lock of her hair around his long finger.</p><p>“I’ve never felt that way either.” He had never lied to her, was not capable of doing so and the truth hurt as much as it healed. She gasped a breath of light and then his lips landed on hers.</p><p>His lips were soft and he smelled divine and he was warm and her body just <em>melted</em> into him.</p><p>She had never been kissed but she knew that this feeling was special. Her heart sang from it, the blood in her veins heated and anticipation stirred deep in her stomach. She felt and heard the rumbling in his chest and knew that the sensation for once was shared.</p><p>~</p><p>She had only ever thought about the negative effects of this curse. She had never realized that there was something <em>good</em> in it. It came as a surprise when Draco (unable to let her go after their kiss) told her all the ways it was good in them.</p><p>“I have a tendency to be arrogant.” He said and it made her laugh from her spot in his arms on his bed. “I think without you I’d be some horrible bigoted git with only money, power, and acquaintances to comfort me.” There was some truth in those words but there also wasn’t.</p><p>“No, you would and do still have some friends.” She thought of Astoria as he obviously did too.</p><p>“Astoria is like me. She comes from the same world and she has the same experiences so yes, maybe I would have friends but she could never change me. Not in the ways you have. You have made me a better man.” He said it with such conviction that she had to raise herself up from his chest to look at his face. His eyes met her squarely and with a force that made her heart skip a beat.</p><p>“I don’t understand how.” She honestly didn’t. She was not fishing for compliments but suddenly he was lavishing them on her.</p><p>“You impressed me with the way you stood up for others, with your morality and strength, with your belief in freedom for all. I’m not someone who can empathize with others. I find it hard to care about other people’s problems but you do and seeing you made me realize how beautiful it is to <em>feel</em>. You’re inspiring and you have and will continue to do so much good in other people's lives. I hadn’t realized that it was important to make a lasting good impact in the world until I met you. I hadn’t <em>wanted</em> to until I met you.”</p><p>Hermione felt tears pooling in her eyes.</p><p>“I love you, Hermione,” He breathed, and her body quivered. “And love can never be a curse.”</p><p>And with the way she felt in his arms, she was inclined to agree.</p>
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